New animated TV series based on Spaceballs movie

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is teaming with Mel Brooks to release of a new original television series based on the science fiction comedy Spaceballs.

G4 has licensed the first run of Spaceballs - The Animated Series for the US market. The network is involved in the production of the series, and will premiere the program in Fall 2007.

Brooks, who over the past 40 years has created such movies as Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and both versions of The Producers, co-wrote the Spaceballs pilot with Thomas Meehan. Meehan, who has co-written three film projects with Brooks, the original Spaceballs film, To Be or Not to Be and the musical version of The Producers, will oversee all writing for the first 13 episodes. Brooks will also lend his voice to two of the characters in the show, President Skroob and Yogurt.

Similar to the feature film, which parodied iconic science fiction movies, Spaceballs: The Animated Series will take the Brooks satirical eye, spoofing the biggest blockbusters of today as well as every genre of entertainment from movies and reality TV to Culture and politics.

Jim Packer, President of MGM Worldwide Television Distribution Group, told SFcrowsnest.com, "This series has all the elements of a great comedy show. Mel Brooks has one of the top comedy minds in the business and the Berliner team has an impressive track record for producing quality animation. On the heels of retooling our worldwide television distribution group, MGM will be an active player in bringing first-run series to the marketplace and 'Spaceballs' is a good example of the programming partnerships we can create with this vast library."

Neal Tiles, president of G4, added: "As the go-to network for men 18-34, irreverent humor is one of the benchmarks of our programming philosophy, as is animation. Mel Brooks' classic movies 'Young Frankenstein' and 'Blazing Saddles' are just as relevant to our young male audience today as they were when they were first released. His brand of humor will resonate well with our viewers."

In the pilot episode of Spaceballs: The Animated Series, the storyline will be similar to that of the movie, which was released theatrically in 1987. The evil Dark Helmet kidnaps Princess Vespa of the Planet Druidia. His dastardly plan: to blackmail her father, King Roland, into giving up his planet's air to replenish the polluted Planet Spaceball, run by the fiendish President Skroob (to be voiced by Brooks). Princess Vespa's dad hires Lone Starr and Barf to rescue the princess. After a battle with Dark Helmet, they rescue the princess and Planet Druidia. From there, they launch on a series of wild adventures across the Galaxy.